F1 teams scupper Pirelli tyre test

Pirelli tabled a request several months ago for a 1 day tyre test following the Abu Dhabi GP. This was to be dedicated to trying out various prototypes, which would eventually morph into the new ‘ultra-soft’ tyre they plan to use in 2016.

The team’s responded by offering FP1 as the time to test the new tyre compound.

However, Pirelli have repeatedly made it clear that during FP1 they do not get a proper amount of time to test the various prototypes and that the teams also have other priorities during those sessions.

Adding a test day following Abu Dhabi would require unanimous agreement amongst all of the teams.

This is not going to happen as some teams claim they have booked return flights already for critical crew members also citing cost as prohibitive.

If you ever need an unanimous decision in the F1 then you’re left out in the cold. The sky may rain fire, the world may tear itself apart, but teams in the Formula 1 will keep disagreeing with each other on principle.

Well, it’s not like every team HAS to be present at that tyre test. Why not allow only those teams to test who have the means and are willing to do so, while others who leave before the test will have to be satisfied with a summary and the results of the test typed up by Pirelli?

“The team’s responded by offering FP1 as the time to test the new tyre compound.
However, Pirelli have repeatedly made it clear that during FP1 they do not get a proper amount of time to test the various prototypes and that the teams also have other priorities during those sessions.”
I think if the teams are willing, Pirelli should do their tests in FP1. How is it that there’s not enough time? Most of the FP1 is spent in the garage by everyone in any case….

Ok, we would like you to do a qualifying simulation on the supersofts, after that a race simulation with 20 laps on the softs and 40 laps on the mediums. And as we brought 4 variations of all these tires, could you repeat that another 3 times? And btw, we need to make the track wet as we also would like to see how the rain tires behave. For comparisson we also would like you to do some runs on the current rubber. With your 2nd car we would like you to do exactly the same with medium hard and hard tires. Could you also please do this with full fuel load and low fuel load on all the compounds. All in FP1. Thanks a lot eh!

Who else thinks that the reluctance of the FiA to mandate tyre tests still leaves the door open for Todt’s preference of supplier (Michelin) to step in, as Pirelli have said that if the testing situation does not change soon, then they cannot even contemplate designing tyres for the new species cars come 2017/18 as the demands would be so greatly increased by the extra downforce and cornering speeds, that it would not be safe to try making an appropriate product with rigorous track testing. So if Pirelli walk away over the testing problem, it leaves the door wide open for an urgent back-up, in steps Michelin with 6 sets of tyres for each team to last the year and pit stops and strategies go out the window aas qualifying will determine the results due to a lack of options on how to run the race.

This looks like a very very big storm brewing ready for this time next year if the proposed changes come in for 2017

Pirelli will most likely get their way. The teams generally like track testing – particularly the bigger ones. Bernie will back it and the smaller teams will use it as an opportunity to extract cash from someone.

If I were Pirelli I would just say that if they don’t test they don’t provide tires for 2016. If Pirelli accepts this the only result that will come from it is that Pirelli gets criticized for providing bad tires.